Email   Print   Share By Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious July 22, 2010 | Sports

The Ballers’ Pam Tates (9) touches second base just ahead of the ball during the women’s softball tournament championship game July 13 at Fort Hood. Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports Editor

Ballers shortstop Chelsey Dabill tags second base for a forced out, but missed the double play by a step.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Quiet Storm team won the Fort Hood women’s softball tournament July 13 at the Rodney J. Evans Softball Complex.

Despite similar results, history did not repeat itself during the championship game of the women’s softball tournament held July 13 at the Rodney J. Evans Softball Complex.

The Quiet Storm defeated the Fort Hood Ballers, 24-7, in a game called after the third inning of play because of the league’s 15-run rule.

Before the game, Quiet Storm player Jean Brown said, “Hopefully, we’ll come out swinging and hitting sooner than last time. We had to come from behind when we played them about two weeks ago.”

Observing that her team had won the post women’s softball tournament four consecutive seasons, Quiet Storm Coach Theresa Mayfield said, “This team is probably more competitive than any team around here. We’ll see what they (Ballers) bring tonight.”

Echoing Brown, Mayfield added, “We’re going to come out swinging and connecting. We’ve got the defense and offense. If these ladies work and minimize their mistakes, we should win the championship.”

Mayfield said her team is rated No. 1 in South Texas, No. 3 statewide and No. 5 nationally by the United States Specialty Sports Association.

Of his team’s previous loss to Quiet Storm, Ballers Coach Robert Pruitt said, “The past is just that. What happened in the past will not happen again; history will not repeat itself.”

The first inning was not conclusive.

After Brown drew a walk, Quiet Storm left fielder Chris Jackson dropped a fly ball into center field for a double. A sacrifice fly by Michelle Houston scored the first run of the game.

Short stop Windy Klein drew a walk before Delonica Boyce hit a sacrifice fly into center field for a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the first inning, leadoff batter Kendra Pruitt smacked a double into center field. Pam Tates followed with a fly ball hit into left-center field, scoring a run.

With one out, Tonia Armstead was thrown out a first base after hitting back to the Quiet Storm pitcher Sharon Kinard.

Then, Shanon Holman hit a line drive at third baseman Yani Kwera, who dropped the ball. Holman was ruled safe at first base and the Ballers took the lead, 3-2.

Kinard got out of the inning by fielding a dribbling grounder hit straight at her. She turned and threw to second base for the forced out.

But in the second inning, Quiet Storm hitters’ bats were hot.

First baseman Heather Moriarty started the onslaught with a single hit at the short stop. Center fielder Angela Clemons hit a triple, tying the game with a towering fly ball hit to the center field fence.

Kinard added an inside-the-park homerun for a 6-3 lead with no outs.

A single by Brown, a double by Chris Jackson and a fly ball hit to the left field fence by Klein stretched the lead to 8-3.

A couple of hits later, Alda

Cartagena made it a 10-3 game on a fly ball hit into left field.

A fly ball hit into center field by Clemons made it 11-3 with two outs.

Kindard’s double on a fly ball hit into center field tagged on another run and Mika Organ’s hit to the center field fence stretched the Quiet Storm lead to 14-3.

After walking three batters, Ballers pitcher Marcia Worthington gave up a run walking a fourth and it was 15-3.

Klein placed a fly ball into left field, scoring two more runs, for a 17-3 tally.

Mary Nieves’ grounder gave Quiet Storm an 18-3 lead before they added two more runs.

Following a lead-off single by Amy Lantrip and a walk by Michelle Edwards, the Ballers’ Tay Fulmore drew a walk, loading the bases.

Dropping a fly ball into center field, Tates drove in two runs, pulling the Ballers to the bottom side of a 20-5 score. Pruitt added two more runs, 20-7, on a hit to the center-field fence.

After giving up two more runs and loading the bases, Worthington was replaced on the mound by Lantrip. But she walked in another run, and Klein and Nieves added three runs on strong hits, handing Quiet Storm a 24-7 lead.

During their final at-bat, the Ballers’s Edwards flew out to Brown in center field, Bringhust was thrown out on a line drive hit at Kwera, at third base, and the final batter flew out to left field.

After the game, Mayfield said, “History didn’t repeat itself; it was even better this year. The top of the lineup hit and the bottom hit, too. Organ was fired up; Angela (Clemons) hit hard, and all the ladies played hard and tight. They’ve been working hard all year and I knew they would get it done.”

“Hey, when the sticks ain’t on, they just ain’t on. You win some and you lose some,” Pruitt responded.